Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!275!429!Tim.Smith
From: Tim.Smith@f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org (Tim Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Asl as a natural langu
Message-ID: <15836@handicap.news>
Date: 30 May 91 03:58:36 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Hey Paul.. I don't know if you meant that you picked my name at random..
It's interesting since I am deaf myself...

    The idea you had about the video tape was pretty good---  It could
be a great enchancement to the class.. BUT--- should  not replace the
usage of ASL in the classroom...
    The fact that we ARE deaf...
Should be part of the education system.  Right now, they are  trying to
make us deaf people what we ARE NOT- a hearing person.

They try to hard to teach us how to speak---  that they forget  that
speaking is not everything.  They direct all  their  attention and
energy in teaching us  how to speak, and don't teach us anything else.
    It  then fails miserably.  We do NOT learn how to speak perfectly.

The reason is obvious.  We are deaf.   We cannot hear ourselves speak.

Then they bullshit  us around and  tell us that we're doing wonderfully
ion speech class...  We believe them at first-- UNTIL we actuall go out
and speak.
    And we are met with  bewildered looks on the stranger's face that we
speak to.

    Don't make what we are not...  Just let us be what we are..
I just wish people would respect our language.  Then, it would be all
rosy.

KnowwhutImean? {{Grinning}}

Take care!
                Tim

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